Stimulus-independent data analysis for fMRI

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) is a promising method to determine noninvasively the spatial distribution of brain activity under a given paradigm, e.g. in response to certain stimuli. We discuss methods for analyzing fMRI data based on independent component analysis with respect to their capabilities of separating noise sources from functional activity. The methods are as well applicable to analyze the activity dynamics in the resting brain and could provide restrictions to speci c high-level models.